Taking from these insights, Airbnb Asia Pacific under its ‘Kitchens of Asia’ initiative has partnered with chefs in four Asia Pacific marketsAnumeha Chaturvedi | ET Bureau | September 20, 2017, 18:00 IST

(Thinkstock Images)Community-driven hospitality company Airbnb has announced the results of its Asia Pacific (APAC) Travel survey, which revealed travellers are getting more adventurous with 71% of people surveyed emphasising the importance of trying local cuisines on vacation, and 6 out of 10 travellers keen to try new experiences or activities.

Taking from these insights, Airbnb Asia Pacific under its ‘Kitchens of Asia’ initiative has partnered with chefs in four Asia Pacific markets. Chef Manish Mehrotra of Indian Accent (India); Chef Tony Yoo (South Korea); Chef Ian Kittichai (Thailand); and Chef Koh Kentetsu (Japan) to encourage travellers to try and prepare authentic Asian dishes that capture the flavours of India, Japan, South Korea and Thailand on their next vacation on Airbnb.

The chefs along with Airbnb hosts in each of the market will share recipes which anyone can recreate using ten ingredients or less or in under thirty minutes.

Chef Manish Mehrotra of Indian Accent, said “Food is one of the most exciting and important parts of travel. As a chef, most of my travel is planned around discovering local food and ingredients that inspire me to create new dishes. The recipes I have curated for Airbnb’s Kitchens of Asia initiative will give people a true taste of the local life, with a hint of their own accent, when travelling. This will give them the chance to experience the joy of buying fresh ingredients from a local store or shop for organic vegetables from a nearby farmer's market in the neighbourhood. It is also a great way for people to try simple and fun recipes in kitchens across beautiful homes, and to be able to live like a local, anywhere in the world.”

Talking about the Kitchens of Asia Initiative, Siew Kum-Hong, regional director, Asia Pacific, Airbnb said: “Our Survey has shown that people across the region, irrespective of age or gender, have a desire to really experience the places that they travel to, not just visit. Food is such an influence on destination decision-making, and is also one of the easiest ways that you can immerse yourself into a local culture or community whether travelling with your family and friends, or alone."

The Airbnb APAC Travel survey (the Survey), which was conducted in seven countries - Australia, China, India, Japan, Singapore, South Korea and Thailand - found that 71% Indians are most likely to want to try local food, in comparison to 58% of travellers from South Korea. Indian women are more adventurous in trying local food and drink (74%) versus 68% of men. Women are more likely to try new activities of experiences (71% versus 66% men. Women travellers from India (74%), China (73%), Japan (80%), Singapore (84%), South Korea (59%) and Thailand (69%), are more inclined to sample local cuisine than their male counterparts. The only exception is Australia where 76% of men are more keen to try local dishes compared to 71% of women. Millennials are more open to trying new cuisines compared to their aged counterpart. In Australia (77%), China (65%), India (72%), Japan (83%), Singapore (79%) and South Korea (59%), the 18-24-year-old age group is most open to new ideas and the importance of trying local foods.